The United States government has issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing Houthi attacks on the oil tanker "Sounion," stating that the attacks threaten to unleash "a million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster."

The statement, released by the US Mission to Yemen and seen by "Barran Press," expressed deep concern over the attacks.

"While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear intent on sinking the ship and its cargo into the sea," the statement read. "Through their attacks, the Houthis have made clear that they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems upon which Yemenis and other communities in the region rely for their livelihoods, just as they have undermined the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the area through their reckless attacks."

The US Mission to Yemen called on the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks and urged other nations to assist in averting the environmental catastrophe.

Earlier today, maritime sources told Reuters that experts are set to resume a risky operation this week to salvage the "Sounion," which was attacked by the Houthi group in the Red Sea last month. The tanker still carries approximately one million barrels of crude oil.

Salvage operations were initially halted due to safety concerns, with warnings of a potential spill that could be the largest from a ship in recorded history and potentially cause an environmental disaster in a highly sensitive area.

According to the international agency, the Houthis detonated explosives on the tanker after the initial attack on August 21st, leading to further fires. It remains unclear if any additional explosives are present.

Last Saturday, September 7th, the US Department of Defense confirmed that the Greek tanker "MV Sounion" remains ablaze following the Houthi attack. Pentagon officials told CNN that the Greek tanker, carrying one million barrels of oil, is still burning after the Houthi attack on August 21st. They added that the fires have not yet reached the oil tanks, but officials reported a leak of fuel or engine oil into the ship's busy waterway.

On September 2nd, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) mission, known as "ASPIDIS," reported that the "Sounion" tanker is still burning, despite 12 days having passed since the attack in the Red Sea. The mission warned that the tanker poses a "major environmental threat."

On August 27th, the Pentagon spokesperson stated that a third party attempted to send two tugboats to assist in rescuing the "Sounion," but the Houthis threatened to attack them. The tanker carries approximately one million barrels of crude oil.

On August 21st, the Houthis attacked the Greek-flagged tanker, setting it ablaze. After the attack, they detonated explosives on the tanker, leading to further fires. It remains unclear if any additional explosives are present.

The Exxon Valdez disaster, the largest oil spill on the US coast, occurred in March 1989 when the tanker struck the well-known Bligh Reef in the Prince William Sound area. The ship was severely damaged, and oil began to leak.

The oil spill resulted in the release of an estimated 10.8 million gallons of crude oil (257,000 barrels) (or 37,000 tons), covering 11,000 square miles of ocean and 470 miles southwest, and 1,300 miles of coastline.

Cleaning up the Exxon Valdez oil spill required more equipment, manpower, and time than any other oil spill in US history. More than 11,000 people, 1,400 boats, and 58 aircraft participated, and the cleanup operations took nearly three years to combat pollution in the area.

The "Sounion," a Greek-flagged tanker, has become an environmental hazard after being damaged in the Houthi attack. The tanker carries approximately one million barrels of crude oil, and the Houthis have stated that they have mined the tanker with explosives.

Since last November, the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, has launched missile and drone attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.